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She huffed a breath. Decisions had to be made, but this argument wasn’t the hill she wanted to die on. “Fine. I won’t call him. But—” She jabbed a finger at them. “We have to talk about this. And it won’t be you telling me how things will be and expecting me to do it. We’ll discuss it, like you said. And we’ll come to a decision. All of us. Not just you.”
“Okay, sweetness,” Cannon agreed. “That sounds good. Real good. “
“Now?” Hawk asked.
She shook her head. “You guys need to get to work.”
And she needed to get them out of here before she picked a fight. Her earlier trepidation wasn’t subsiding. Something had her on edge today, more than usual. It was making her queasy, and she wasn’t sure what exactly caused it. Worry, probably. She was also overtired, which tended to make her cranky. And when she was cranky, everything set her off. She knew that. Mostly, she controlled it, but being told what to do, with no autonomy, was one of her trigger points.
She didn’t want to argue with her men, though. Her stepfather was the real target of her rage. He’s started the situation she now had to face again. As the sickening distress dwelt in her chest, all her glowy feelings from last night were evaporating like mist on a sweltering summer day.
“You coming with us?” Cannon asked since today was one where they’d work here at Redemption.
“No.”
If she went with them, they would fight for no real reason, and she’d be the one to start it.
“Baby girl—”
She dug in heels. She was especially likely to argue with bossy Hawk, if he kept it up.
“You guys are taking care of the horses then going to work on the south corral fences. You can see the house from there, and the alarm will be set. You wore me out. I’m going to hang out here.” She raised a brow. “Recover.”
And maybe, she’d take a long bath and a nap.
Just like that, smug smirks transformed their faces.
“Okay, baby girl,” Hawk breathed, conceding. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her into him. His lips pressed to her forehead, while she closed her eyes and absorbed the moment. Her fingers curled into his narrow waist. So powerful. Solid. When he held her, she believed he could protect her from any storm.
“I know you’re still angry,” he whispered against her temple. “But don’t be mad, okay? We’d be destroyed without you.”
“I’m not mad,” she murmured against his shirt. She took a deep breath, drawing him in and filling herself with his rugged scent.
Arguing was stupid.
He kissed her, his mouth hard but fleeting, then Cannon pulled her into his arms. She sank into his warmth, his comfort surrounding her like a blanket. Comfort and safety. She felt safe with them.
But feeling safe and being safe were different things. Despite how she wanted to bask in the sensation of being between them all day, she couldn’t forget that truth for much longer. Issues had to be dealt with. Discussed.
But first, they all had jobs that needed to be done. Their horses and the others she was boarding or rehabilitating depended on them.
She followed Hawk and Cannon to the front door, and another strange feeling of unease roiled in her stomach. It tightened the muscles across her shoulders and prickled down her spine. She hated leaving things undone between them, but tonight would have to be soon enough. Fighting tears, she kissed them goodbye again after they shrugged into their coats. Why was she so emotional over this? It was only goodbye until she headed out to join them in the stable.
“You okay?” Cannon asked. His eyes narrowed as he scanned her face then glanced down at where her arms crossed over her middle, her clenched fists tucked partially under her elbows. Catching Cannon’s question, Hawk turned assessing eyes on her, as well.
With effort, she dropped her arms to her sides and forced a benign expression onto her features. If she mentioned feeling off, they’d stay with her. That wasn’t fair to their animals. Even if she desperately wanted them to stay. She hadn’t felt this agitated since the day she’d fled Chicago, sure her stepfather’s associates were on her heels.
“Yeah. Fine. Just…tired. Probably.” She tried a grin and failed more than a half-smile before the side of her lips immediately fell.
“Can’t imagine why you’d be tired,” Hawk teased. “Go get some rest this morning. We’ll make sure all the animals are fed and exercised.”
Her chin dipped once, and she tried again to smile. No dice. She swallowed hard around the knot that had formed in her throat and blinked back burning tears. What was wrong with her? Was she getting sick?
“Baby girl?” Hawk stepped toward her, but she held up a hand.
“I’m okay. Just… I don’t know. Off? I’m sure I just need to lie down.”
“If you’re sure…” As if looking for a second opinion, he glanced over at Cannon, who watched her just as closely. He shook his head, at a loss.
